In this Nomenclator Specierum, we present accounts for the specific epithets (species names) now established within oligochaete genera. Each account includes a specific epithet with the genus in which the taxon was placed at the time of its original description, last name(s) of authority(ies) first describing the species, the year that the original description was published, the abbreviated name for journal or other publication in which the original description was published (including the series, volume, issue {as applicable}, and page on which the original description begins), a four (or five) letter code designated for the museum, institution, or other repository (often including personal collections maintained by the describing authority(ies), referred to as 'in Auctores Collectione'), and accession number(s), when assigned, for the holotype and paratype(s).

The navigation table, below, provides a quick link to webpages dedicated to the species beginning with each letter of the alphabet. The navigation table is followed by a brief summary of annotations that are associated with many of the accounts, including several examples.

Click on the first letter of the species name (specific epithet) in this table:

cervix, Limnodrilus Brinkhurst, 1963; Int. Rev. Hydrobiol. 2: 36; USNM 32633–6. [N.O., p. 86]– The account for this species was first included in N.O., page 86.

wilmae, Sparganophilus Reynolds, 1980; Megadrilogica 3(12): 198; NBMS 980.79.2. [N.O.S.P., p. 29]– The account for this species was first included in N.O.S.P., page 29.

When a second (or even third) annotation has been presented with an account, this likely indicates that a correction or update of information was included with that account in one (or more) of the three supplements in the original series.

Examples (existing account in red, with brief explanation in green):

vaili, Diplocardia Gates, 1977; Megadrilogica 3(1): 42; TTRS 1587. [N.O.S.P., p. 28]; syntypi translati ad USNM 136903. [N.O.S.T., p. 28] – The account for this species was originally included in N.O.S.P., page 28; then – as noted in N.O.S.T., page 28 – the syntypes for this species had since been transferred from Tall Timbers Research Station (Florida, USA) to the USNM - U.S. National Museum/National Museum of Natural History (Washington, D.C., USA).

Accounts for species that are new entries to this second edition – those species described as new to science since the publication of N.O.S.T. (Reynolds and Cook, 1993) plus accounts for species described prior to 1993 that were inadvertently omitted from the original N.O. series – have not been annotated as such.

Examples (existing account in red, with brief explanation in green):

bihariensis, Octodrilus Pop, 1989; Trav. Mus. Hist. Nat. Grigore Antipa 30: 199; MINB 49975.– The account for this species was inadvertently omitted from the original series [i.e., N.O.S.S., N.O.S.T.]

spartinae, Marionina Healy, 1994; Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 107(1): 165; USNM 16380507.– This species was described after publication of N.O.S.T.

DNA sequencing, barcoding, and tissue-banking

The advent of DNA sequencing, barcoding, and deposition of tissues and their associated data in one (or more) repositories (e.g., GenBank) has, fortunately, resulted in this information being integrated with new descriptions published in the literature. When available, we include this information in new accounts presented in the Index Specierum.

We encourage users of this website to provide us with additions and corrections to accounts for the genera on the pages linked from the table, above – especially for the accounts that are incomplete, highlighted in orange. We ask that all contributors of information for this website follow the simple instructions provided on the For Contributors page.